Clutch mechanism



July 17, 1923. 1,462,046

C. E. REDDIG CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed May l, 1920 Il Nll I WIV 2a Patented.lazily l?, 'R23 CHARLES E. REDDIG, OF RICHMOND HILL,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELEC- 'ERIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

To all whom 'it may concern: Be it known that I, CHARLES E. REDDIG, a,-citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond Hill, inthe county ofQueens, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Clutch Mechanisms, of which the following is a y full,clear, concise, and exact description.

llhis invention relates to improvements in clutch mechanisms, theprimary object being to provide a clutch mechanism having simple andefiicient means for moving one of a plurality of operatively connecteddriven elements into and out of operative connection with a drivingelement.

The present improved clutch mechanism is lespecially adapted for use ina vacuum cleaner of the type 4employing an electric motor and arotatable brush, the clutch mechanism serving to couple and uncouple thedriving mechanism for thel brush from the electric motor, but it is tobe understood that this clutch mechanism' is not confined to such anapplication but may be employed for a variety of uses without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illus,-

trated in the drawings and described in detail in the specification, theimproved clutch mechanism is disclosed as applied to an electric vacuumcleaner and comprises a worm 1n axial alignment with the armature shaftof the electricy motor of the vacuum cleaner, this worm `heaving inconstant mesh therewith a worm gearv which actuates a shaft carrying apulley for drivin the brush of the vacuum cleaner. A manna ly operablesliding sleeve supports the worm and serves when actuated to couple oruncouple the worm from the armatureshaft 'of the motor without un-vmeshing the worm from the worm gear.

Other features of the present improve nient are described in detail inthe specilication and illustrated'in the accom anying drawings, in whichFig. ,1 is a top p an view showing an electric vacuum cleaner embodyingvthe improved clutch mechanism, part of y Aee the dust bag, operatinghandle and being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fral entary side elevation, partly in section, sowing in detail the construction of the worm and the manually operablesliding sleeve for coucasing Application led May' '1,

CLUTCH Mncnmsnr.

1920. Serial No. 378,142.

pling and uncoupling the worm from the armature shaft of the motor.

Fig. 3 is a reduced vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawin in detail in which like referencev numera sdesignate similar parts throu hout the several views,

1 illustrates the casing of a vacuum cleaner of well known construction,having at one end a nozzle 2 within which a brush 3 is rotatablysupported. Within the casing 1 and in rear ofthe brush 3, a fan (notshown) is provided which is actuated by an electric motor (also notshown), the .fan sucking dust from the nozzle 2 and brush 3 upwardlyinto a dust bag 4, all of which construction is of well known design andis not thought to need further descri tion. The casing l is mounted uponsuita` le wheels 5 so that it may be moved from place to place b meansof a handle 6 secured to af yoke i which is suitably pivoted to thecasing l.

In the vacuum cleaner illustrated 1n the i i drawings, the` electricmotor (not shown) has its armature shaft 8 horizontally dis-A posed andprojectin' rearwardly Within a horizontally dispos Ahousing 9 in axialalignment therewith. The interior of the housing 9 is made cylindricaland of a diameter to receive a cylindrical sleeve 10, provided on itsinner end with a vertically dis posed annular rim 11 against the innerface of which an outer ring 12. of a bll'race is fitted. A spacingsleeve 13 is positioned between the ring 12 and an outer ring 14 of l asecond ball race. The innersurfaoe of the sleeve 10 is provided withinternal screw threads to mesh with external screw threads formedv onthe outer periphery of a hollow V'hu-loportion lxnade inte al with -aknob 16 of the sleeve 10 so that the rings and spacving sleevearelocked' tothe sleeve f1.0.. @of1 imv ESE

are balls 18 which run in groove formed in the said .rings and ingrooves formed in inner rings-19 and 20 which are mounted -5 upon ahorizontally disposed shaft 22 and spaced by a spacin sleeve 23. Ashoulder 24 is formed on tlige shaft 22 adjacent the inner edge of thering 19 and a nut 25 screwed on the threaded outer end of the 10 shaftsecurely clamps the rings 19 and 20 and the spacing sleeve 23 between itand the shoulder 24 so that the rings and spacing sleeve rotate with theshaft 22. A worm 26 made of steel is made integral with the 15v shaft 22and is provided with a central bore 27 to receive the end of thearmature shaft 8, when the parts are positioned as illustrated in Fi 2,and is also provided with s acedA clutc lugs 28 to receive between 26 tem a pin 29 which extends throu h the armature shaft 8 and projectsbeyon each side thereof at right angles.

When the parts are in the positions illustrat'ed in Fig. 2, the wormgear is in driving 26 connection with the armature shaft 8 so that whenthe electric motor is set in motion, the worm 26 and integral shaft 22will be rotated, the latter carrying with it the rings 19 and 2O whichrevolve against the so balls 18. The rings 12 and 14, sleeve 10 and knob16 are held against rotation by means comprising a disk 30 surroundingthe hub 15 and clamped between the inner face of the mob 16 and theouter edge of the sleeve S55 10, the disk 30 being provided with ahorizontally disposed tongue 31 fitting between spaced lugs 32 formed onthe casing 9 and having a triangular shaped struck up por: tion 33 toengage with a lug 34 having opce positely inclined faces and castintegral with the casing 9. When it is desired to uncouple the worm 26from the armature shaft 8 of the motor, the hand knob 16 is moved to theright, as viewed in Fig'. v2, carrying with ce it the sleeve 10, theinner and outer rings of the ball races, the spacing sleeves 13 and 23,the shaft 22 and the worm 26. The knob 16 is moved outwardly a distancesufficient to move the triangular struck up portion 33 so on the tongue31 into contact with the rear inclined surface of the lug 34, the end ofthe spring 31 being enlarged at 35 so that it will engage with the lugs32 and prevent further rearward movement of the tongue es 31 andconsequently the knob 16. The movement of the knob just described issufeient to disengage the driving connection between the worm 26 and thearmature shaft '8 of the motor. To engage the worm 26y an with thearmature shaft 8 of the motor, the

knob 16 is moved inwardly until the parts assume the positionsillustrated in Fig. 2, 4the inward movement of the knob 16 and sleeve 10being limited by the engagement ce of the end of the sleeve 1() with anannular incense 'shoulder 35 formed on the inner tv'all of the i casing9.

ln constant mesh with the worm 26 is a ber worm gear36 (Fig. 3,)securedv to a downwardly extending shaft 37 rotatably mounted withinsuitable bearings 38 carried by a bracket 39 made integral with thecasing 9. A,pulle '40 is secured to the lower end of the sha t 37 whichdrives a belt 41 connecting the pulley 4() and a second pulleyl 42secured .to the rotatable brush 3. Since the worm 26 and iber worm gear36 are in constant mesh, when the former is slid longitudinally throughan actuation of the knob 16 to disconnect it from the armature shaft ofthe motor, this sliding movement necessarily causes a partial rotationof the worm vear 36, shaft 37, pulley 40 and brush 3. The brush 3rotates very easily so that this par tial rotation, due to the actuationof the worm gear 36, causes no appreciable drag against the movement ofthe worm 26. l-owever, if the brush 3 is in Contact with the carpet, orshould by any means be held against rotation, when the worm 26 is slidhorizontally causing a partial rotation of the worm gear 36, the pulley40 will slip within the belt 41.

No means is provided for lubricating the steel worm 26 and the fiberworm gear 36, but the ball races within the sleeve 10 are acked withgrease which is prevented from eaking out of the outer end of the sleeve10 by means of the meshing screw threads on thehub 15 and the sleeve,the inner end of the sleeve being oil tight through the pro vision of apacking washer 43 which surrounds an enlarged portion of the shaft f 2and engages the inner peripheral edge of the rim portion 11 of thesleeve 10. I

What is claimed is:

1. A clutch mechanism for vacuum clean.- ers having a rotatable brushand an electric motor, comprising a casing, a worm slidable in saidcasing into and out of operative connection with the armature shaft ofsaid motor, a worm gear meshing withsaid worm, a brush actuatingmechanism operatively 4connected with said worm gear, and a slidablesleeve' operatively connected with said worm and disposed in saidcasingjor sliding said worm into and out of operative connection withthe armature shaft of said motor.

2'. A mechanism of the class describedv comprising a driving element, amovable driven element in axial alignment there' with, a fixed drivenelement disposed at an angle and operatively connected with said movabledriven element, a bearing for said movable driven element comprising aball race disposed in a substantially oil-tight sleeve, and means forslidin said bearing to' carry said element into an out of operar tiveconnection with said driving element. tt

3. A clutch mechanism for vacuum cleaners having a rotatable brush andan electric motor7 comprising a rotatable driven ele- ;ment movable intoand out of operative connection with said motor, akiotatable elementball race disposed in a. substantially oiltight sleeve, and means formoving said 10 bearing to move said driven elements into and out ofoperative connection with said motor.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 27 th day of April,A. D., 1920.

- CHARLES E. REDDIG.

